Monday, October 6, 2008

Now, they are blaming the rain gods for playing truant with city's vital link to the new airport.

On Monday ground water was seen seeping and collecting in the carriage way of the "instant underpass' near Cauvery Junction. And there was no 'magic' solution for the problem than to close it for traffic. Motorists coming from Bashyam Circle were directed to go round the underpass towards BDA office.

Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) chief engineer (Major Roads) Krishna Reddy told DNA that the nearby Sankey Tank was to blame. "As a result of an abundance of rains this year, the tank is brimming with water and the groundwater table has risen. The underpass was constructed by excavating the earth. The excavation was kept above the water table but now the water table has risen to a depth of 6m (19.8 feet) and hence the seepage,'' he said.The problem of seepage was not restricted to the Cauvery Junction underpass. Even the nearby underpass of Mekhri Circle grade separator has been experiencing groundwater seepage recently inconveniencing motorists.

Traffic snarls return

Cauvery Junction underpass and along with the one near BDA junction and Sanjayanagar cross were envisaged to ease congestion on the road to new airport. Now it seems that the situation may not improve. During excavation for Sanjayanagar underpass, one km away from Cauvery Junction, groundwater was sighted. Former PWD secretary Captain Raja Rao felt that this was the result of shoddy planning. "One has to plan for the worst geological conditions. It is not that we cannot make roads when there is ground water. BBMP seems to be driven by publicity," he said.During the construction of Cauvery Junction under pass, the workers slit open a live water supply line, delaying the work by 40 days.